First-Year Student Application Process

The University of New Haven offers one binding admission program and three non-binding admission programs for first year fall admission: Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision.

To be considered for certain programs and receive numerous benefits, students must follow the established timelines and important dates listed above. Admission to the University of New Haven is extremely competitive and early applications are encouraged due to limited space in many of our 100 degree programs.

Our admissions staff begins reviewing applications for the fall semester on September 1 on a rolling basis, even for students applying Early Decision or Early Action. Students should expect to receive a decision on their completed application no later than 4-6 weeks of when their application is complete.

Each student is assigned a personal admission counselor to assist them throughout the enrollment and financial aid application process. To see who your admission counselor will be, please visit www.newhaven.edu/meetadmissions. Note that counselors are assigned by geographic area.

All first year candidates for undergraduate admission must submit the following:

250-650 Word Personal Essay (If you have entered a personal essay on the Common App, this is the only personal essay that you need to provide to us.)

Official High School Transcript

At least 1 Letter of Recommendation from an Academic Source

Official SAT or ACT Scores

Students applying for Early Decision must also:

Complete a personal interview with an admissions counselor (Interviews can be conducted either on-campus, via phone, or at one of our regional events. You can schedule your personal interview at www.newhaven.edu/interview.)

The University of New Haven is a proud member of the Common Application.

Applying to the University of New Haven

For first year students interested in fall semester admission, please apply using the Common Application. We only accept the Common Application, as this allows guidance counselors to submit official transcripts, reports, and letters of recommendations electronically through Naviance. This makes the entire process easier for you, even if you only are applying to the University of New Haven. Please note that guidance offices may also submit documentation by regular U.S. mail. Our address is:

University of New HavenOffice of Undergraduate Admissions, Bayer Hall300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT 06516

Early Decision is recommended for students who have determined that the University of New Haven is their definite first choice.

By applying for Early Decision, students are agreeing that they will enroll at the University of New Haven if they are offered admission. All application materials must be submitted to the University no later than December 1, and students must complete a personal interview with an admission counselor which can be conducted on campus or regionally. Once a student has been accepted through the Early Decision program, they are required to withdraw their applications from all other institutions. Early Decision students have a required enrollment deadline of February 15 (Enrollment Commitment Fee is $500 for students who wish to live on campus and $300 for commuters). Note that Early Decision applicants are eligible for the highest academic scholarships, first opportunity to apply to our honors program, housing benefits, priority for Living Learning Community participation, Dean’s Scholarships, and more!

Due to the high volume of applications we receive for certain programs, Early Decision or Early Action is recommended for the Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, Dental Hygiene, Marine Biology, Music Industry, Music and Sound Recording, Sport Management, and Biology - Pre-Med Programs. It is possible that these academic programs will be completely full by February each year.

Important Deadlines For Early Decision

December 1 (or earlier) – application and all required materials due.

December 1 (or earlier) – complete personal interview with admissions counselor. (Interviews can be conducted either on-campus, via phone, or at one of our regional events. You can schedule your personal interview at www.newhaven.edu/interview.)

Admission decisions for Early Decision are mailed no later than December 15 each year.

February 15 - Enrollment Commitment deadline. Please submit your enrollment commitment form and non-refundable admission deposit. This deposit is $500 if you plan to live on campus and $300 if you are planning to commute.

March 1 (or earlier) - Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for financial aid consideration. The University of New Haven’s Title IV School Code for the FAFSA is 001397

March 15 - Notification of financial aid for incoming First-Year students. Please note that it is likely financial aid packages will be mailed earlier if a student’s FAFSA is completed prior to March 1.

Early Decision Benefits

Merit-Based Scholarships – All applicants are considered for the highest of merit-based scholarships at the time of their application to the university. There are no additional applications to fill out, just your application for admission. If you are admitted to the University of New Haven, you will also receive notification of any merit-based scholarship in your acceptance package. Priority consideration is given to Early Decision applicants. Click here for a complete list of merit-based scholarships.

Dean’s Scholarship Consideration – Each of our four colleges offer special scholarships to students enrolling in one of their programs. Early Decision students are given special consideration for these scholarships. Dean’s Scholarships are awarded in addition to any other merit-based scholarships that a student receives.

Living/Learning Communities – We offer students in many of our programs the opportunity to participate in a ‘Living/Learning Community’ (LLC). In an LLC, students are grouped by majors and/or common interests for their first year, and enjoy benefits such as trips off campus related to their major/interest, shared advising, linked classes, and group study sessions. Students admitted to the University of New Haven under Early Decision are given first priority for the LLC program. Click here for more information about the LLC program.

Honors Program – Students who qualify academically for admission to the University of New Haven Honors Program will receive an invitation after admission to the university. It is recommended that you apply under Early Decision or Early Action in order to be considered for the Honors Program.

If the University of New Haven is one of your top choices, but you would like to keep your options open, you should plan on applying for Early Action. Early Action is not binding and there is no commitment to enroll until May 1, although you can certainly choose to make your decision earlier than that.

Many people confuse Early Action with Early Decision, which does require you to attend a particular institution if you are accepted. Early Action simply means that you will receive a decision on your application much earlier in the process and have plenty of time to make a good decision. Students who are interested in the University of New Haven are strongly encouraged to apply Early Action because of the flexibility it offers and the many benefits available. Students who apply Early Action are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than March 1 in order to be considered for need-based financial aid. Early Action applicants are also eligible for the benefits of Early Decision applicants, provided they get all of their materials in prior to December 15.

Based on space availability after the Early Decision and Early Action deadlines, you may still apply to the University of New Haven, and your application will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

Regular Decision is also a non-binding admission program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; however, the priority date to apply is March 1. This means that you will receive a decision on your application within 2-3 weeks of when your completed application materials are received. The enrollment deadline for Regular Decision applicants is May 1.

March 1 (or earlier) - Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for financial aid consideration. The University of New Haven’s Title IV School Code for the FAFSA is 001397.

March 15 - Notification of financial aid for incoming First-Year students begins. Please note that it is likely financial aid packages will be mailed earlier if a student’s FAFSA is completed prior to March 1.

May 1 – Submit your Enrollment Commitment Form and non-refundable deposit of $500 for residential students or $300 for commuter students. Housing will be assigned based on availability.

Based on availability, students that apply under Regular Decision may still be considered for opportunities such as scholarships, Living/Learning Communities and the Honors program.

The University of New Haven considers potential First-Year students and transfer students for our spring semester admission on a rolling basis.

We recommend completing your application no later than the first week of January each year. Classes for our spring 2019 semester will begin on Wednesday, January 23, 2019. There will be an orientation and course registration for all new students on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. We will accept applications for spring semester admission until Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

The priority deadline to pay your Enrollment Commitment Fee for the spring semester is January 11, 2019. However, earlier deposits are strongly encouraged and should be paid as soon as a student decides to attend the University of New Haven. Full-time students wishing to live in university-sponsored housing must pay a $500 fee, while commuters must pay $300 to secure a spot in our spring semester class. Part-time students must pay a $100 fee to secure a spot in our spring semester class. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another semester.

Important Dates

To be considered for certain programs, you must follow the established timelines and important dates which are noted in the information to the left.